PUTIN PROMISES FAILURE FOR THE WEST AND WANTS TO “CLEAR” RUSSIAN SOCIETY
LONDON – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday leveled furious accusations against the West, which accused it of wanting to dismember Russia and dominate the world, and assured that the current situation would expose “traitors” in the world. a society that needs to be “cleansed”.
If the West, which has imposed tough sanctions on Moscow, thinks Russia will back down, it’s because it doesn’t understand Russia, Vladimir Putin said on the 21st day of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine.
“There are hostile geopolitical goals behind the hypocritical words and actions that the West is taking today. They simply do not need a strong, sovereign Russia,” he said.
Russia is ready to discuss Ukraine’s neutral status in the ongoing negotiations between the two countries, but it will achieve the goals of its military intervention, which is “going according to plan,” the Russian president continued in a speech before his ministers aired it on a state channel. a television.
Russia presents its military offensive in Ukraine as a “special operation” designed to guarantee its own security.
Western sanctions against Russia will only strengthen it, Vladimir Putin is sure.
“The West does not even try to hide that its goal is to harm the entire Russian economy, every Russian,” he said.
“Of course, they (Westerners) will try to bet on the notorious fifth column, on traitors – on those who earn money here but live elsewhere. Ideas,” the Russian president continued.
“The West wants to divide our society (…), provoke a civil war in Russia and use its fifth column to achieve its goal. And there is a goal: the destruction of Russia,” he assured.
This goal will not be achieved, Vladimir Putin promised.
“Any people, and especially the Russian people, are able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and spit out the latter like a midge that accidentally fell into their mouth,” he threatened.
“I am convinced that this natural and necessary cleansing of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, our cohesion and our ability to withstand any challenges,” the Russian President concluded.
(Edited by Reuters, written by Marc Trevelyan, French version by Bertrand Busy and Tanguy Salaun, edited by Jean-Michel Belo)